wakeupstokedI’ve already been multiple times to Northern Brazil but always wanted to do a road trip seeing all the spots, starting from Fortaleza going all the way up to Atins.
We didn’t make all of the spots but since I researched them all I wanted to share everything I found so you can pick the spots that sound best to you.
Quick tips for your Kitesurf Brazil road trip
If you’re considering renting your own car and exploring various spots, here are some tips on car rental and on planning your route:
- Tips on car rental: If you rent your own car rent something with a higher clearance if you are planning to drive a lot. Don’t drive when it’s dark there are a lot of holes in the road, people biking or walking at the side of the street, cows/goats/donkeys chilling on the road or passing etc.
- Where to rent your car: I always book my rental car via billiger mietwagen (German Site, you can cancel up to 24 hrs before) or Rental Cars (International Site).
- How to plan your road trip: Don’t change locations every day or other day unless you really want an adventure and don’t want to come home rested but having seen everything. We are happy we did because I just wanted to explore all spots once to get my own picture of it. If you want to have a more relaxing holiday though explore a few spots and then stay in one spot for a week. We found it more relaxing when we stayed at a spot for 3 nights rather than just 1 or 2 nights.
- Accommodation/where to stay: For accommodation we basically booked very spontaneous and just checked booking on the same day, we usually found pretty good offers since hotels want to fill out empty spaces. That being said we went at the beginning of October which is not the classical “kitesurfer high season” for Brazil which usually is November and December so I don’t know if it would be the same situation then.
- Water Conditions: most spots in Brazil have choppy water with some flat water lagoons in-between. When I speak of waves it is not glassy clean waves like you have in Mauritius 😉 It’s more beginner/medium level to mess around but you do see a lot of wave kiters along the Brazilian coast!
- Wind forecast: in Northern Brazil you usually do not need to check the wind forecast because it is windy every day! The “lower” and closer you are to Fortaleza the lighter the wind (and the season ends a bit earlier), the further up you go North the stronger the wind gets and the season is longer, peaking at Jericoacoara with the strongest wind.
- Wind strength: for Cumbuco and Taiba you will need bigger kites (in Taiba we saw anything from 7m to 12m depending on the day), the further up North you go the stronger it gets. I was on my 9m Dice most days, in Jericoacoara and Prea I was on my 7m Dice. The wind picks up slowly in the mornings, is usually stable by 11/12 and gets stronger throughout the day. The last hour of sunlight it gets a little bit weaker again but still fully kiteable for an awesome sunset session.
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1. Kitesurf Spot Cumbuco & Cauipe lagoon, Ceará, Brazil
We skipped that one but from what I researched and heard it is one of the cheaper option to stay in Brazil, it’s a short drive from Fortaleza (which also makes it a bit more dangerous) and has a younger vibe with restaurants and some bars.
If you want to spot some pros training head to Cauipe lagoon.
Generally, the wind is lighter close to Fortaleza (which makes it ideal for freestyle) and gets stronger the more you go North.
2. Kitesurf Spot Taiba ocean and lagoon, Ceará, Brazil
Quick facts on kitesurfing in Taiba
+ short drive from Fortaleza
+ lagoon (flat) and ocean (choppy & waves)
+ amazing pizza
– no accommodation right at the lagoon (but a very short drive away)
– the town itself is not so special
– lighter wind than more north (which at the same time makes it ideal for freestyle)
Most important info on kitesurfing in Taiba
How to get to Taiba: from Fortaleza airport it is a 1.5 hr drive by car
Level: all levels
Water condition: flat to choppy (lagoon) choppy & waves (ocean)
Downwind tip: Taiba to Paracuru
Crowds: lagoon can get crowded but you can move more downwind
Best time to go: July – November/December, for waves the winter months are best which doesn’t have the best wind though
Tip: Go to one of the many amazing pizza places, truly tastes like in Italy
3. Kitesurf Spot Paracuru, Ceará, Brazil
Quick facts on kitesurfing in Paracuru
+ many restaurant options in town
+ with low tide almost flat water inside the reef, some waves on the reef
– town and accommodation is a 10 min drive away from the spot
Most important info on kitesurfing in Paracuru
How to get to Paracuru: from Fortaleza airport it is a 1 hr 45min drive by car
Level: all levels
Water condition: choppy (more flat with low tide), waves on the reef
Crowds: average
Best time to go: July – November/December
4. Kitesurf Spot Guajiru and Fleixeiras, Ceará, Brazil
Quick facts on kitesurfing in Guajiru and Fleixieras
+ accommodation right at the spot
+ nice flat stretches in between waves
– no “exceptional” vibe, small town, quiet
Most important info on kitesurfing in Guajiru and Fleixieras
How to get to Guajiru and Fleixeiras: from Fortaleza airport it is a 2.5 hr drive by car
Level: all levels
Water condition: choppy, waves
Downwind tip: Fleixerias to Icaraizinho (long one!!)
Crowds: not crowded
Best time to go: July – November/December
5. Kitesurf Spot Icaraizinho, Ceará, Brazil
Quick facts on kitesurfing in Icaraizinho
+ from bed to board (if you are at “The Spot” on the top of the bay or one of the hotels at the bottom of the bay)
+ small but laid-back vibes in town with some cute restaurants
– not for party people, quite calm village
Most important info on kitesurfing in Icaraizinho
How to get to Icaraizinho: from Fortaleza airport it is a 2.5 hr drive by car
Level: all levels
Water condition: choppy, waves
Downwind tip: Icaraizinho to Ilha do Guajiru
Crowds: average
Best time to go: July – December
Spot Review (German): Kitetiger on Icaraizinho
Favorite Place: The Spot if you want to stay right at the spot or also just for kiting, nice healthy food
6. Kitesurf Spot Ilha do Guajiru, Ceará, Brazil
Quick facts on kitesurfing in Ilha do Guajiru
+ from bed to board (lots of accommodation right at the spot)
+ spot is evolving, nice restaurants popping up, good vibe
– tide dependent (but you can kite more downwind even with low tide or on the ocean if you want to cross)
– there are parts with shells so be careful with low tide
– it’s quite a „touristy“ place (doesn’t feel Brazilian but I liked it anyway, its only kitesurfers in this town)
– wind can be gusty (mostly at the upper part of the lagoon in the middle, move a bit around to find the best spot)
Most important info on kitesurfing in Ilha do Guajiru, Ceará, Brazil
How to get to Ilha do Guajiru: from Fortaleza airport it is a 3 hr 15min drive by car
Level: all levels
Water condition: flat to choppy (lagoon), choppy & waves (ocean)
Downwind tip: Almofala to Ilha do Guajiru
Crowds: can get quite crowded, many beginners, you can always work your way around though
Best time to go: July – December
Favorite places to eat: Coco Knots for vegan food, Beleza for Tapiocas, Fresh Tuna (daily special), Acai Bowls, Do Mar for a nice dinner, 7 Beaufort for pizza night (2 times per week)
Tip: get cash in Itarema and do some shopping for water and snacks there as well (Mar & Sol supermarket is a big one for example)
7. Kitesurf Spot Prea, Ceará, Brazil
Quick facts on kitesurfing in Prea
+ for strong wind lovers
+ from bed to board, accommodation right at the spot
+ more and more infrastructure in Prea town
+ easier to access than Jeri and Jeri is only a 0.5 hr drive away
– super choppy/bumpy
– Prea is evolving by the year but it is still quiet at night
Most important info on kitesurfing in Prea
How to get to Prea: from Fortaleza airport it is a 4.5 hr drive by car
Level: all levels although the wind is pretty strong so as a beginner it’s not the easiest spot to learn. Independent kitesurfers should be used to small kite sizes and choppy conditions.
Water condition: choppy (very choppy!), some waves on the downwinder
Downwind tip: Prea to Placa or Prea to Jericoacoara
Crowds: average, lots of space to move upwind or downwind
Best time to go: July – January/February
Favorite place: Rancho do Peixe for food and kiting
Secret tip: if you want to join a beautiful coliving and community of adventurous digital nomads in Prea, join Cometa in their beautiful coliving villa between 12.9. – 12.11. at a special beachfront location. More infos here.
8. Kitesurf Spot Jericoacoara, Ceará, Brazil
Quick facts on kitesurfing in Jericoacoara
+ for strong wind lovers
+ unique vibe in this sandy village
+ lots of restaurant, nightlife, shops and handmade goods
– it is getting more and more touristy by the year with many non-kitesurfers who love to drink and party (still to me it hasn’t lost it magic!)
– a bit hard to access (if you’re driving yourself it is easiest to get yourself a local guide in Jijoca who will drive your through the dunes), you need to park your car at the outside parking in Jericoacoara and then walk into town.
Most important info on kitesurfing in Jericoacoara
How to get to Jericoacoara: from Fortaleza airport it is a 5 hr drive by car
Level: all levels although the wind is pretty strong so as a beginner it’s not the easiest spot to learn. Independent kitesurfers should be used to small kite sizes and choppy conditions.
Water condition: flat (Guriu lagoon) to choppy and waves
Downwind tip: Jericoacoara to Guriu (and if you want a bigger one kite all the way to Tatajuba)
Crowds: can get quite crowded depending on the spot (e.g. Guriu)
Best time to go: July – January/February
Tip: Naturalmente (for Acai), Club Ventos (great lunch buffet), Caipi Street for sunset (and some Shrimp skewers from the street stand)
Full Spot Guide: Kitesurf in Jericoacoara
9. Kitesurf Spot Tatajuba, Ceará, Brazil
Quick facts on kitesurfing in Tatajuba
+ lagoon and ocean to kite in
– very quiet, only a few pousadas. I personally wouldn’t stay in Tatajuba for my whole holiday, I would rather stay in Prea and Jeri and do a downwinder there or stay for a few nights but there are more and more Pousadas opening there so it will probably evolve more and more
– the lagoon is tide-dependent (but you can always kite in the ocean)
Most important info on kitesurfing in Tatajuba
How to get to Tatajuba: from Fortaleza airport it is a 5.5 hr drive by car
Level: all levels
Water condition: flat, choppy, waves
Downwind tip: Jericoacoara to Tatajuba
Crowds: can get quite crowded in the lagoon
Best time to go: July – January/February
10. Kitesurf Spot Barra Grande and Macapà, Piauí, Brazil
Quick facts on kitesurfing in Barra Grande and Macapà
+ perfect flat water lagoon and ocean
+ Barra Grande has a small and cozy, laid-back vibe with some nice restaurants
+ if you are staying in Barra Grande you can have flatwater with low tide (be aware of the rocks!) and then do the small downwinder to Macapà (around 2 km, it will take you around 20 min to kite back or you take one of the donkeys back) and enjoy the flatwater there with the rising tide
+ from bed to board, accommodation right at the spot (Barra Grande and Macapà) available
– Macapa only has a few pousadas (but is constantly evolving) which is why I usually prefer to stay in Barra Grande
– Barra Grande with high tide is super choppy (so I would go to Macapà with high tide)
– Macapa lagoon is tide-dependent (but you can always kite in the ocean)
Most important info on kitesurfing in Barra Grande and Macapà
How to get to Barra Grande and Macapá: from Fortaleza airport it is a 7.5/8 hr drive by car to Barra Grande (or longer, depending on which shape the road is and how you drive), it is a bit longer to Macapa
Level: all levels
Water condition: flat (Macapà or Barra Grande with low tide), choppy, waves
Crowds: average, lagoon can get more crowded
Best time to go: July – December
11. Kitesurf Spot Atins, Maranhão, Brazil
I was super sad we couldn’t make it all the way to Atins but after our pretty intense road trip from Fortaleza to Barra Grande we decided to head back down slowly to Fortaleza as we only had a few days left. It is one of the spots VERY high up on my kite bucket list though!
If you want to do a road trip and explore many of the spots mentioned in this blogpost I can highly recommend to either start in Atins and work your way down (and then you would fly in to Sao Luis and fly back from Fortaleza) or the other way round, start in Fortaleza and then fly home from Sao Luis. If you have a rental car that might be tricky though so plan enough time in Atins and for your trip back (maybe with a stop or two as you make your way back down again).
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